Not Personal, Not Impersonal

Why is it important?

Sometimes you see something that really changes your outlook. So be careful here because this video that I’m linking you to should hopefully change yours. Most people have a view of the world which is them and us. We live in the West, they live in the third world. But that is an outmoded view. This video is 20 minutes long, but it is fascinating. One of the most interesting things about it is how this guy uses data. He has sourced the data from publicly accessible sites and animated it. You can watch how China is catching up with America over time for example. The great thing is the way that the presenter commentates like a sportscaster as things are happening and yet is so human and feeling in his approach to the reality of the situations. Truly brilliant, and as he suggests if the data is freed then people might start to understand the realities.

His groups website, named after the London Underground phase “Mind the Gap” is here, and allows you to freely play with the data: GapMinder.org